willison



J. WILLISN. CAR COUPLNG.

APPLICATION FILED AuG.ao, 1910.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

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J. WILLISUN.

CAR COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED Aue,so, 910.

l l 94, l O9. Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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wn'NEssEs 16 INVENTOR 1. WILLISON.

CAR COUPLING. APPLICATION FILED AuG.30. 1910.

l ,l 94;, l 09 Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

INVENTOR MKQWJM. h Mahal J. WILLISON.

CA COUPLING.

`MPuzMIoN FILED AuG.30. 1910.

l l 94, 1 O9 lntented Aug. 8, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

WITNESSES INVENTOR MKZ/(HMM waan/W55 TiNiTnn sTaTns TaTTnT @Trient JOI-IN WILLISON, OF DERBY, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGS COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CAR-COUPLING.

land, have invented a new Vand useful Improvement in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a full, clear, and eXact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specication, in whichl Figure 1 is a front elevation showing a preferred-form of my improved car coupler; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section showing the coupler in locked position; Fig.l 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing' the lockset position; Fig. 4 is a sectional top plan view withthe parts in locked position; Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, illustrating the opening of the knuckle, and showing a shorter guard arm; Fig. 6 is a cross section on the line VI-VI of Fig. 4, showing the lockset position in dotted lines; Fig. 7 is an inverted plan view of the knuckle, showing the knuckle-thrown position in dotted lines; and Fig. 8 is a detail view showing the knuckle pin support.

My invention relates. to the class of car couplers and is designed to provide a simple form of car coupler which will perform all the desirablev functions of locking and unlocking, locksetting, and knuckle-throwing, without complication or the use of small fragile parts.

In carrying out my invention, `the lock and the lmuckle throwerare formed as separate elements, and the knuckle thrower, in addition to its function of throwing the knuckle, acts to liftthe lock to lockset position in the initial movement of said knuckle thrower. The lockA is taken olf the lockset shelf or ledge by the outward movement of the knuckle, and is supported on the knuckle untilV the knuckle has closed. In its function of lifting the lock to lockset position, the knuckle thrower acts as a lever, while in its knuckle throwing function, it acts as a pulling rod.

In the drawings, 2 represents the coupler head, 3` the knuckle, and 4 the knuckle pin.

The numeral 5 designates the knuckle tail, whichis preferably provided with a horn 6, projecting into a recess of the head, to assist in resisting the pulling strain. The wall 7 of the coupler head, which receives the horn, is slightly spaced apart from the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Application led `August 30, 1910. Serial No. 579,686.

rounded rear surface of the tail and horn, except in that portion of the wall which is in the rear of and substantially in line with the knuckle pin 4. Here the knuckle tail andthe wall are shapedto fit against each other snugly, thus taking the shocks of huing. In order to lprovide for variations in the parts, the pin is preferably made slightly smaller than theV hole in the knuckle.

The locking block 8 moves vertically and its shape is well shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. Its outer face fits the wallof the head, while its inner face fits against the corresponding face of the knuckle tail, these faces being substantially'parallel. The head portion of this piece forms the locking block proper, while the remainder forms a depending leg 9, having a forward projection 10, which acts as a lock-to-the-lock or anticreeping device. The forward portion of the head is provided with a depending'portion 11, and the rear upper' part of the head is slightly beveled, as shown at 12, to allow the lock to tilt into the locking position shown in Fig. 2. In this position,the lug 10 enters a recess 13 in the forward wall of the head which accommodates the leg portion 9 of the locking block. When lifted, the head of the locking block enters a pocket 14, formed in the top` portion of the coupler head.

To move the locking block out of its locked position and lift it to the rear lockset ledge of the coupler, shown at 15, I use the knuckle opener 16, which ispreferably a bar or rod, having its inner end bent or hooked around, as shown at 17, to engage a downward projection on the knuckle tail, this rojection having a recess to "receive the shan of the opener. The bottom portion of the coupler is preferably formed with a downwardly inclined pocket 18, within which the lever can swing, being preferably actuated by a chain 19, pivotally connected to its outer projecting end.

Under the strain of the chain, the irst action is to lift the outwardly projecting end of the knuckle'opener and cause it to act upon the forwardly beveled-face 20 at the bottom of the locking block leg, thus releasing the lock-to-the-lock in two ways: first, by acting on the beveled face; and second, by taking the weight of the lock on the opener, thus causing the leg to move backwardly, on account of its forwardly overhung head. As the tilting movement of the lever progresses, the lock will be lifted, and .at the same time, a tendency to a rearward movement imparted thereto until it reaches the lockset shelf or ledge 15, when its leg will be moved back on to said ledge by the two actions above described, namely, the action of the lever on its beveled face and the gravity action of its overhung head. If the knuckle is now pulled open, as by the drawing away of an opposing car coupled therewith, the rib 5a on its tail will engage the depending flange on the head of the lock and at the same time, the inclined surface of the tail inside the `rib will act on the bottom of the flange or projection 11. The rib, therefore, will tend to pull the lock forwardlyoli' its lockset seat, and at the same time, the weight being taken on the inclined top face portion of the tail, this will also act to cause the leg to be brought forwardly.

Both of these actions will draw the lock off the lockset shelf and further motion of the knuckle will rhang it up on the knuckle, where it remains during the opening of the knuckle. On the inward movement of the knuckle tail, the lock will move downwardly slightly within its pocket until the tail has passed it, when it will drop down into the locking position shown in Fig. 2. If, after locksetting, the motion is continued to throw the knuckle open, the further pull on the chain will then cause the hook 17 of the knuckle opener to throw the knuckle open bydirect pull on its tail. In this case, the lock is again lifted in the same manner as before, and remains hung on the knuckle y tail until the knuckle is closed, when the lock again drops into the position of Fig. 2, in which it locks the knuckle and is itself locked against displacement by shocks orV support the latter, and is effectively heldin place by the pin itself.

The advantages of my invention will lbeV obvious to those skilled in the art. The parts are simple, few in number and easy to make and assemble. There is little or no machining of Athe parts required, and they are large and heavy and not liable to breakage. Allof the desirable functionsof the modern coupler are'alforded, and a positive motion imparted by the pull of the knuckle opener, instead of acting through a cam or similar device.

. k.Many changes 'may be made in the form and arrangement of the head, the knuckle, the locking block, opener, etc., without declaims.

I claim:

1. In a coupler, a head, a knuckle having a tail, a vertically movable and tilting locking block having a lock-to-the-lock engage-Y ment with the coupler head when in locked position, and a. tilting and endwise'bodily movable pulling lever having hooked en-` gagement with a knuckle tail within the coupler cavity, said pulling lever extending underneath the locking block, the lever and block being shaped to tilt the locking block out of the lock-to-thelock position vin the initial upward swing of the Vpulling lever, substantially as described.

' 2. In a coupler, a head, aknuckle having a tail, a vertically movable and tilting lock ing block having a lock-to-the-lock engagement with the coupler head when in locked position, and provided with a lower inclined face, and a tilting and endwise bodily mov-V able pulling lever engaging the knuckle tail and arranged to act upon the inclined face of the locking block to tilt the block out of the lock-to-the-lock position and then lift it by the swinging movement of the pulling lever, substantially as described.

3. In a coupler, a head, av knuckle having a tail, a vertically movable and tilting locking block, the locking block having on its forward and rear sides respectively a lockto-thelock and lock-set engagement with the coupler head, and a tilting and endwise bodily movable pulling lever engaging the knuckle tail, said lever extending under the locking block and coperat'ing with said lock to tilt it and disengage the lock-to-thelock and lockset it in lifting, substantially as described. s

4. In a car coupler, a knuckle having a tail with a shoulder'on its'lower face, a vertically movable and tilting lock,Y and a knuckle openercomprising a pulling rod engaging the lower shoulder on the knuckle tail, and thence extending under the knuckle and under the locking block, in combination with a connection arranged to tilt the rod and move it' bodily endwise; substantially as described. Y.

5. In a coupler, a knuckle having a tail,'a

parting from my invention as defined in my vertically Amovable and tilting locking" block having a beveled lower face, said block being arranged to lockset onV the coupler head, and a tiltingY and endwise bodily movable pulling lever engaging the knuckle tail and vextending beneath the locking block,

and a connection to tilt Vand move the lever bodily endwise to act on the Ainclined or beveled face of the locking bloc-k and lift the same and tilt it into lockset position, substantially as described. i Y i 6. In a car coupler, a lknuckle having a tail, a vertically movable and tilting locking block having a forwardly overhung head and a beveled lower surface, the coupler having a lock-set seat at the rear of the locking block, and a lift device arranged to move the lock vertically and tilt its lower extremity rearwardly on to the rear lock-set seat and its overhung head forwardly to engage the knuckle tail, said lift device directly engaging the knuckle tail t'o pull it open; substantially as described.

7. In a car coupler, a knuckle having a tail, a vertically movable and tilting locking block having an over-weighted forwardly projecting head and a depending leg having on its under side a lock-setting surface, the coupler head having a lockset ledge at the rear of the locking block pocket, the knuckle tail being arranged to support the head of the block and swing the depending block leg off the lock-set seat, and a tilting and endwise bodily movable pulling lever extending under the lock and arranged to give the leg of the lock an initial rearward movement to lift it and tilt it into lock-set position, substantially as described.

8. In a car coupler, a vertically movable tilting locking block having a projection and recess engagement at its forward side with the coupler to afford a lock-to-thelock, the locking block having an upper cutaway portion at its rear to allow the block to rest in a rearwardly inclined locking position with the lock-to-the-lock engagement; substantially as described.

9. In a coupler, a head, a knuckle having a tail, a vertically-movable and tilting locking block, and a tilting and bodily endwise-movable pulling lever extending transversely of the coupler head under the block and normally resting in the recess of the Hoor of the coupler head, entirely below said locking block and out of contact therewith when the locking block is in locked position, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

JOHN WILLISON.

Witnesses:

JOSEPH MILLARD, WALTER J. SKERTEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

